Jouni Kaipainen: SOUTH BY NORTHEAST Juhani Lagerspetz, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra & Hannu Lintu

• Jouni Kaipainen (1956 - 2015): Piano Concerto Op. 55:
• 1 Kaipainen: Piano Concerto Op. 55: I Allegro con spirito, ma un poco nervoso 15:53
• 2 Kaipainen: Piano Concerto Op. 55: II Larghetto - Largo misterioso 08:30
• 3 Kaipainen: Piano Concerto Op. 55: III Allegro con brio – Meno allegro, ma con slancio – Molto allegro 07:55
• North by North-East Op. 63:
• 4 Kaipainen: North by North-East Op. 63 12:02
• Aubade beninoise, Op. 86b, Beniniläinen aamulaulu:
• 5 Kaipainen: Aubade beninoise, Op. 86b, Beniniläinen aamulaulu 08:52
• Total Runtime 53:12

Info zu Jouni Kaipainen: SOUTH BY NORTHEAST

After a long break, the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, which celebrates its 95th anniversary this year, is releasing a new album featuring the world premiere of works by the orchestra's late principal composer Jouni Kaipainen. The album SOUTH BY NORTHEAST features conductor Hannu Lintu and Juhani Lagerspetz as soloist in the piano concerto. The album continues Tampere Philharmonia's collaboration with Alba Records.

Jouni Kaipainen (1956-2015) was a polymath and Renaissance figure in new Finnish music who, despite his untimely death, managed to create a rich and wide-ranging output of compositions. The Tampere Filharmonia was Kaipainen's ‘second family’ and home orchestra, having moved from Helsinki to Tampere, and premiered many of his major works in the 2000s. He composed many works for the orchestra, including symphonies, concertos and chamber music works. Close collaboration with the Tampere Philharmonic enriched the repertoire of both the orchestra and Kaipainen, and brought his music to the attention of a wider audience.

On the new album, the orchestra is conducted by Hannu Lintu, the composer's trusted maestro who served as chief conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic from 2009 to 2013. Lintu has a distinguished international conducting career and has taken Kaipainen's music to the world.

The album SOUTH BY NORTHEAST, released on 20 May 2025, features Kaipainen's Piano Concerto, interpreted by pianist Juhani Lagerspetz. This is the first performance of the monumental Piano Concerto op. 55. Lagerspetz and the Radio Symphony Orchestra premiered the work in 1997.

In addition to the Piano Concerto, the album features Kaipainen's North by Northeast, commissioned by the Nordic Music Council. The title refers to Alfred Hitchcock's blockbuster film A Dangerous Romance (1959), which ends with a struggle for the giant presidential sculptures of Mount Rushmore in the United States. In Kaipainen's composition, the transition from the city to the middle of nature takes place in Finland, and the journey could begin on a train from Helsinki or Tampere, heading north-east towards the hilly regions of Savo-Karelia. The guide seems to have been Sibelius and his Tapiola.

In the album's closing track, Beninese Morning Song (Aubade beninoise), the composer unloads the positive culture shock of his African journey. The song takes listeners through West African rhythms to the whirlwind of Finnish shamanism.

Juhani Lagerspetz, piano
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor

Juhani Lagerspetz
(b. 1959) began studying the piano at the Turku Conservatory at the age of six. He continued his studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at the Conservatory of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). After winning first prizes in national competitions (Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Competition in 1975 and Maj Lind Piano Competition in 1976), he went on for several successes in international forums. In 1982, he was awarded a special prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He has performed widely in Finland and at music festivals in Europe, in the former Soviet Union, the USA, Japan and Chile. Juhani Lagerspetz teaches at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
comprising 97 musicians, is one of Scandinavia's leading symphony orchestras. In autumn 2013, young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali succeeded Hannu Lintu as new Chief Conductor and continued in his post until 2023.

The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra has its home in the Tampere Hall. During the winter season the orchestra runs a symphony and a chamber music series, acts annually as opera and ballet orchestra and regularly features at the Tampere Biennale contemporary music festival. It has so far been on tour to Scandinavia, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States.

Educational projects and other happenings for children and young people are one of the characteristics of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. It is the first orchestra in Finland with its own club for young listeners.

In recent years the orchestra has recorded mainly for Ondine, with such conductors as Hannu Lintu, John Storgårds, Eri Klas, Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen and Leif Segerstam. So far more than 40 recordings have been launched on national and international markets. The more recent of them include works by Kimmo Hakola, Andrzej Panufnik, Jean Sibelius, Jouni Kaipainen, Pēteris Vasks, John Corigliano, Alma Mahler, Einar Englund and Leo Brouwer. Many of the recordings have received outstanding reviews and accolades, including the Cannes Classical Disc of the Year Award 2004 and altogether five Cannes Classical Awards.

The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra's history spans back to 1930. Since 1947, the ensemble has been maintained by the City of Tampere. The conductors preceding John Storgårds and Eri Klas were Tuomas Ollila, Leonid Grin, Ari Rasilainen, Atso Almila, Paavo Rautio, Juhani Raiskinen and Eero Kosonen.

Booklet für Jouni Kaipainen: SOUTH BY NORTHEAST